There's Always a Story
by Beledi1113
Summary: Summary: Warning – Major Character Death. What if Beckett and Castle never met in "Flowers for Your Grave"? What would be the consequences? Definitely AU since of course, they meet in canon and they didn't die in the series.
1. Chapter 1 Exposition

**There's Always a Story**

Summary: _**Warning – Major Character Death**_. What if Beckett and Castle never met in "Flowers for Your Grave"? What would be the consequences? Definitely AU since of course, they meet in canon and they didn't die in the series.

AN: Okay, so I'm writing another Castle fanfic again. I've used some of the things that happened in Castle and tweaked them just a bit to fit. I've also used some of the words from various episodes (shown in italics) and I've added a couple of fill-in characters. Disclaimer: I don't own Castle - just writing for fun.

 **Chapter 1 – Exposition**

Richard Castle, the mostly world famous mystery writer, checked the time on his watch again before rolling his eyes at Gina again for the umpteenth time in the last 5 minutes. At this point, he'd be lucky to make it to his flight on time.

Gina smiled sweetly as she continued to draw out her speech, obviously enjoying his discomfort.

" _What is it about a hard-boiled detective, a femme fatale, and the cold steel of a gun that keeps our bedside lamps burning into the wee hours of the morning? However the spell is cast, tonight we honor a master of the form and celebrate the launch of 'Storm Fall', the stunning conclusion to his best-selling Derrick Storm mystery series. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Master of the Macabre... Rick Castle."_

As she finished, the audience burst into applause and Castle walked onto the small platform, putting on his public smile. "Well, there's nothing I can say to top that, so I won't." He lifted his glass of champagne in salute. "Thanks for coming and have a great evening."

Gina smirked at him as he walked over and sat the glass down on the counter next to where she stood.

"You knew I had to leave by 8:30 to make the flight," he hissed under his breath.

"Oh, don't worry – you'll make it in plenty of time," Gina consoled. "Now, be a good boy and say a couple of goodbyes on your way out."

"You're just jealous because you won't be able to ride me any more about my writing," Castle commented drily.

"Riding you is the least of my worries," Gina replied calmly with a smile. "Besides, lending you to the Brits is making Black Pawn, and me, a ton of money. Just try not to tarnish your image too much while you're across the pond."

"My image is perfectly fine," Castle said as as he headed towards the elevator, stopping to shake a few hands along the way.

# # # # # # # # # # #

Detective Kate Beckett pushed the up button for the elevator and then pushed it again, watching as the display showed where the elevator cars were.

"You know, that won't make it come any faster," remarked LT under his breath. At Beckett's eye roll, he smiled slightly but refrained from saying anything else.

So far, they had 2 murders straight out of Richard Castle's earlier books. He wasn't a suspect at this point, but he might be able to give them a viable lead and she was determined to talk to him tonight.

Beckett was slightly annoyed that it had taken several calls to his publisher Black Pawn to find out where he was, which wasted precious time. The receptionist had finally told her that he would be at the book party for the final Derrick Storm book. She was even more annoyed when the receptionist said that it was by invitation only. Well, Beckett had an invitation – her all-access NYPD police badge.

After the doors opened, she and the 2 uniforms quickly walked on the elevator and she pushed the button for the top floor and then waited impatiently for the doors to close.

As the doors closed, the doors to the elevator to the left opened and Castle rushed out to the town car waiting for him.

# # # # # # # # # #

 **3 years later**

Castle wearily opened the door to his loft and plopped his carry-on by the door. "Mother, I'm home!" he called out carefully, checking to see whether or not Martha was at home.

It was mid-morning and, even though the flight from LA had been non-stop, it was crowded and seemed endless; being in first class had not helped.

Not feeling very sociable (almost a first for him), he hadn't even tried to hit on any of the stewardesses and just wanted a shower and long nap before going to the long-anticipated poker game that the mayor was hosting in his honor that night.

Castle almost sighed as he looked around his home. The last 3 years had been exciting, but it was good to be home among familiar surroundings, even if his mother had redecorated slightly, he thought as he looked around. Oh, yeah, that picture would definitely have to go – and was it a picture of…oh, yes, it was definitely going.

Not hearing anyone stirring – Martha may be sleep or, heaven forbid, hadn't made it back from her outing last night – Castle picked up his bag and walked into his bedroom.

His 3-book series for James Bond had been a hit and movie rights for all 3 were in the offing, so Black Pawn and Paula, his book agent, were very happy with him at this point.

Alexis had gone with him to England so he had been fairly well behaved during his trip. During the time they were there, she had completed her high school diploma and now it was time for her to choose a college. He was a little selfish in that he wanted her to go someplace near home and not spend more time across the pond, so he had turned down the opportunity to do 2 more books.

They had celebrated his books and her graduation by taking an extended excursion to New Zealand, with a stop in Hobbiton, and Australia, and had then flown to LA so that Alexis and Meredith could visit. Meredith had finally convinced him to leave Alexis there for a couple of more days so they could have mother-daughter bonding time.

So he found himself at home alone and relished in it as he peeled off his clothes and stepped into his shower.

# # # # # # # # # #

The evening had been relaxing and just what Castle needed to reconnect with old friends. They spent the time swapping money, bragging rights, and stories of their exploits for the last 3 years, with Castle's being a little more self-incriminating since English jurisdiction didn't reach New York, or at least they wouldn't rat on him.

The mayor finally called an end to the evening. "Boys, I hate to break this up, but I've got an early morning and a long day tomorrow," Bob commented after looking at his watch.

Judge Markway nodded, frowning sympathetically. "Yeah, that was sad to hear. I had hoped Detective Beckett would recover."

Castle looked at them curiously as he sat back in his chair. "Sounds serious. What did I miss?"

"It's been a bad couple of weeks for the NYPD," replied Assistant Chief Costales, quirking an eye brow. "Made the national news when it happened."

Bob nodded as he raked in the cards and put them back in the boxes. "Three weeks ago, two of our finest were attacked at the 12th and killed – Captain Roy Montgomery and Detective Kate Beckett."

Castle frowned – Kate Beckett – where did he know that name from?

"Detectives Ryan and Esposito had brought in a suspect for questioning," said Costales. "He didn't put up any resistance at first, but as he was walking by Beckett, he grabbed her and slammed her into the wall and then used her gun to shoot Montgomery. Ryan and Esposito took him out before he could hurt anyone else."

Bob nodded. "Montgomery died on the scene and Beckett suffered major head trauma. We were hopefully there for a while, but then the scans showed no brain activity so her father took her off life support two days ago." He stood up from the table. "Her service is tomorrow."

"Kate Beckett?" Castle asked thoughtfully. "I've heard that name before…oh, the copy-cat killer," he snapped his fingers as he remembered. "She was the lead detective on the case of the killer who was imitating my books a couple of years ago. She came to the book signing party but missed me by a couple of seconds."

"Yeah, it's a shame," said Costales. "She was a damn fine detective and Montgomery wasn't a slouch either. The precinct is taking it hard."

Bob nodded in agreement. He paused for a moment and then looked Castle. "Hmmm, you're between books right now, aren't you, Rick? How would you like to do something for the city?" he fished.

Castle shrugged. "I'm always up for a challenge. What are you thinking?"

"The NYPD hardly gets any good press," Bob replied. "Firemen are heroes, so when a fire fighter dies, everyone remembers forever. But a policeman's death in the line of duty is overshadowed by claims of police brutality." He studied Castle. "So maybe you could write some articles about Montgomery and Beckett – they were good cops and they deserve to be remembered."

Castle thought for a moment and then nodded. "Sure; let me see what I can come up with."

"Great," Bob exclaimed, shaking Castle's hand. "Call Sandra tomorrow and she'll set something up."

# # # # # # # # # # #

The next morning, Castle flipped on the TV to the live stream of Beckett's funeral possession as he sipped his cup of coffee.

Intrigued by commentary on the youngest woman to make detective, he started jotting down notes as he watched the solemn event.

Yeah, he could do this and he would do them justice.

# # # # # # # # # #

AN: So one reviewer of a fanfic story blamed Castle for everything that happened because he looked into Beckett's mother's case. And yes, let's face facts – it was his fault but there wouldn't have been a story if he hadn't. So the plot bunny of what if they never met jumped into my brain. (And yes, I watched the first episode of Brain Dead and I did check my pillow to see if my brain had slipped out.) I think even if Beckett wasn't looking into her mother's death that Bracken would have tied up loose ends – her and Montgomery – at some point to ensure they weren't going to be a problem when he ran for President, hence this story… And there is no LocSat in this story.


	2. Ch 2 The Outer Layers of the Kate Onion

**There's Always a Story**

Summary – What if Beckett and Castle never met? What would be the consequences? Definitely AU since of course, they meet in canon. I've used some of the things that happened in Castle and tweaked them just a bit. And borrowed some verbiage from the shows, indicated by italics.

AN: Thanks so much for all the follows, favs, and reviews. They really mean a lot to me. You guys rock! Oh, yes, I don't own Castle, just writing for fun.

 **Chapt 2 – The Outer Layers of the Kate Onion**

"Hey, Ricky," exclaimed Bob. "Thanks for getting back to me so soon."

"I watched the processional this morning," Castle said solemnly as he stood in his kitchen making a sandwich for lunch. "I'm in – I'll do it, but only on one condition."

"And that would be…?" Bob asked hesitantly.

"Jim Beckett – Detective Beckett's father – I want to make sure he's okay with this," Castle replied. "And Evelyn Montgomery – that she's okay with this too."

"Sure thing," Bob said. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

Castle paused. "And I'd like to talk to them personally, Bob, if that's okay, to let them know what my intentions are."

"I don't see a problem with that," Bob replied.

Castle paused a moment, gathering his thoughts. "I've been thinking about doing a series of articles about NYPD officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, starting with Detective Beckett and then the next one on Captain Montgomery. We can decide on who will be next after that.

"Even better," Bob chuckled. "That will give us more press – free press, I hope?"

Castle chuckled. "Think of this as my contribution to the city."

"Okay," Bob replied. "Just tell me what you need and I'll get it."

"I'd like to interview their co-workers and friends, and some of the people that they helped," replied Castle. "And I'd like to read their service record to get an idea of what they were like on the job."

"Yeah, yeah – I can set that up. I'll have them messengered to you tomorrow morning," said Bob. "And I'll call the new captain at the 12th – Victoria Gates – and tell her you'll be coming. But I'll warn you, she's former IA, as by the books as they come. I'm assuming you have a tie you will wear?"

# # # # # # # # #

The next afternoon, Castle stopped his car in front of Jim Beckett's home and studied it before getting out. It was a nice house, in a nice neighborhood in Manhattan that spoke of money and prestige – one that spoke of a two-professional parent household. And like most of the other houses in the area, what was it looked on the outside was not always true about the inside.

He took a deep breath and got out of the car, quickly walking up to the front door and ringing the bell.

A few moments later, an older man opened it, lines etched in his haggard face.

"Mr. Beckett?" Castle asked, extending his hand. "I'm Richard Castle – we talked on the phone this morning. Thank you for meeting with me, sir."

Beckett nodded once, his eyes sad, slightly misty. "Yes, I know who you are. My wife Johanna loved your books."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Castle said, not stepping inside yet.

Beckett nodded again. "So you want to talk about my Katie?"

Castle nodded in return. "For an article about fallen police officers," he said simply.

"Why don't you come inside?" Beckett asked, opening the door wider.

Castle walked into a neatly appointed living room, family pictures scattered about on the tables.

"Over here," said Beckett, pointing to the couch.

A bottle of whiskey sat on the coffee table, an empty glass beside it.

Noticing that Castle noticed, Beckett smiled slightly. "When Johanna died, I drowned my sorrows in the bottle – horrible drunk." He took a breath and looked at the bottle. "My Katie almost lost 2 parents then, but she made me face reality and kept me anchored. I made her a promise yesterday that I wouldn't go down that path again – to honor her memory."

"I read her service record," Castle said. "She was an exceptional police officer."

"That she was," Beckett nodded. "You know, _she wouldn't accept a night light when she was a little girl. Not that she wasn't afraid of the dark, but I think she just felt it was a point of pride to stare it down_."

He looked at Castle. "So can I offer you an alternative beverage with some kick? Coffee?"

# # # # # # # # #

Esposito threw a wadded up piece of paper at Ryan's head to get his attention and then motioned with his head towards Gate's office.

"Hey, who's the suit?" he stage-whispered as he watched Gates talk with the man wearing a severe suit, tie, and dark-rimmed glasses.

Ryan leaned back in his chair to get a better look, squinting slightly. He shook his head as he looked at Espo. "I thought they'd finished the investigation," he whispered back.

They watched the conversation for a moment longer and then Gates walked out of her office to the bullpen, the man in tow.

"Listen up, people," Gates said.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to their captain.

"This is Richard Castle," she said. "He is here at the behest of the Mayor's office to write articles about Detective Beckett and Captain Montgomery. I expect you to cooperate with him."

She looked at Espo and Ryan. "You two, I'm putting you in charge of Mr. Castle. See that he gets the information he needs. I'll leave you to it," she said.

The two detectives nodded as she quirked an eyebrow at them before walking back into her office.

They understood what she meant immediately – they would give Castle the information he needed, no less and definitely no more than was necessary to do his job.

"So, detectives," Castle said as he walked over to them. "Where do we start?"

# # # # # # # #

Dr. Lanie Parrish adjusted the aim of the light to get more illumination on an area of the body laid out before her.

"The victim is Douglas Farimore. Cause of death – a single gunshot wound to the chest, 9 mm. The entry is in the upper left…"

She stopped when she heard a quiet ahem behind her and turned slightly to see Espo and a man in a suit standing by the door of the exam room.

"Detective Esposito," Parrish nodded, noting that he was not being his usual perky self.

"Dr. Parrish, this is Mr. Richard Castle—"

" _The author_?" Parrish queried.

" _On my better days_ ," Castle commented.

" _I love your books. Y'know, you have a real gift with the details of death_ ," Parrish said and then frowned. "So what are you doing in my morgue?"

"Mr. Castle has been asked by the mayor's office to write articles about Detective Beckett and Captain Montgomery," Espo said. "Ryan and I have already talked with him and we thought that you'd be the next person he'd want to talk to."

She narrowed her eyes at Espo. "So you thought you'd bring him here?"

"Well, yeah," shrugged Espo.

Castle waved a hand at the dead body. "I can come back later if you're busy," he offered.

Parrish shook her head. "No, that's okay. We can talk now. Mr. Farimore isn't going anywhere, and this will keep me from getting too weepy about my girl."

"Great, thanks," said Castle, edging closer to get a better look at the body as Parrish pulled the sheet over him.

"Call me when you finish and I'll come back to collect him," Espo said and then walked out of the room.

Parrish looked at Castle and tapped her foot. "So what do you want to know about Detective Beckett?"

"First, let me say that I'm sorry to hear about your loss. Detective Esposito said you and Detective Beckett were best friends."

Parrish nodded, blinking back a tear. "We met shortly after she joined the force."

Castle pulled out his phone. "Do you mind if I record this?" he asked and then thumbed on the app when she shook her head no.

"This is Richard Castle. I am writing an article about the late Detective Kate Beckett. I am currently talking to Dr. Lanie Parish, one of the medical examiners for the 12th precinct." He looked at Parrish.

"I understand that Detective Beckett was the youngest woman to make detective."

"Yes," Parrish nodded. "She was, but I'm not sure that meant as much to her as it did to other people. She joined the NYPD to give a voice to the victims, to make sure they got justice."

Castle paused. "Is that because her mother's murder was never solved?"

At Parrish's sharp look, he thought he might have overstepped his bounds.

She finally relented. "Perhaps, maybe at first, but she put that all behind her and moved on. After that, I think it became more about the victims, how good she was at getting justice for them. She knew what they were going through and she could empathize with them. She wanted to get the closure for them she never got."

Castle nodded and continued to ask questions, listening intently to Parrish's replies. After he had enough material, he excused himself to go to the men's room.

"Out to the door to the left, three doors down. And if there's a corpse in the room, you've gone too far," Parrish commented with a smile.

Castle walked out the door and turned left, counting the doors. He was about to push the door open when two pairs of strong hands grabbed him from behind.

# # # # # # # # #

"Uh, hm, I'm usually much better with words than this because that's what I do for a living," Castle stammered and then took a deep breath. "So, I'll start by introducing myself. Perhaps you've heard of me – I'm Richard Castle – I write murder mysteries – you know, Derrick Storm, Storm Fall…? Your father said your mother liked my books." His voice petered off as he ran out of things to say and pressed his lips together.

He studied the headstone in front of him. It read simply:

"Detective Katherine Houghton Beckett

11-4-1979 to 5-11-2013

Fidelis Ad Mortem

She was the voice for those who couldn't speak for themselves."

"And I don't know why that qualifies me to write your story, Detective Beckett, but I'll do my best."

He paused and nodded. "I talked to Lanie today. She told me a lot about you – how you strive to get justice for the victims, how compassionate you are with the families. She thinks that's because your mother was murdered and the crime was never solved.

"I also met your brothers-in-arms – Detectives Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan. They jumped me coming out of the morgue. And just between you and me," he said, lowering his voice, "I thought they were corpses come back to life, so I'm sure I screamed like a girl and peed myself slightly."

He shook his head. "From our conversation, I'm sure I'll have to wear Depends around them since they promised to beat the crap out of me if I did anything to besmirch your reputation in any way. And I'm sure Dr. Parrish would help them hide the body."

He took a breath. "I read your personnel file. Not only were you the youngest woman to make detective, your team has one of the highest closure rates for solving murders. You had a real gift for that."

Castle looked at the red gold sunset. "I also talked to your father and got his permission to do this article. I told him that I have nothing but the best intentions towards you."

He chuckled slightly. "Now that's ironic because I've never said that to a father before – usually when they saw me coming, they'd get out the shotgun. Oh, no, wait – I did try to have the talk with Kira's father, but I think he knew what I was going to say and he just patted me on the shoulder and said 'Turn and run'. Guess married life wasn't what he thought it was going to be."

"Anyway, I'm going to talk to your training officer at the Academy tomorrow. So I'll just say, 'Until tomorrow, Detective.'" Castle nodded to the headstone and then turned and walked away.


	3. Ch 3 The Inner Layers of the Kate Onion

**There's Always a Story**

Summary – What if Beckett and Castle never met? What would be the consequences? Definitely AU since of course, they meet in canon. I've used some of the things that happened in Castle and tweaked them just a bit. And I borrowed some verbiage from the shows, indicated by italics.

AN: Once again, thanks so much for all the follows, favs, and reviews. They really mean a lot to me. You guys rock! Oh, yes, I don't own Castle, just writing for fun. BTW, I fixed the scene breaks in Chapter 1 – forgot about how the fanfic site formats things – duh… And a big thanks for favoriting and following my other fanfics; that really means a lot.

 **Chapt 3 – The Inner Layers of the Kate Onion**

# # # # # # # # #

The next morning, Castle slowly drank his coffee while he poured over the various newspaper reports about the attack at the precinct. They all said essentially the same thing…

The day had started out perfectly normal, well, as normal as it could for the murder bullpen of the 12th precinct, before it had all gone to hell in a New York minute.

Detectives Ryan and Esposito had brought in Dick Coonan for an interview about the murder of Dick's brother Jack.

The two brothers were polar opposites. Dick was a well-respected business man while Jack ran with the Irish mob.

Jack had been brutally killed, stabbed multiple times in his apartment. There were no defensive wounds, so he must have known his assailant, perhaps even turned his back a moment before the fatal blow was delivered.

The prints found in Jack's apartment matched a man identified as Hal Lockwood, whom witness said had been visiting at odd times day and night during the last few weeks. Drug paraphernalia was also found at the apartment.

At that point, Montgomery had called Narcotics in on the investigation and they attributed the murder to a drug deal gone south.

Hal Lockwood had been tracked down to a SOR in a seedy part of town, but when the NYPD went to pick him up, they found him dead, a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.

The gun lying next to Lockwood had been wiped, but they found a partial print on one of the bullets that matched several people, one of them who could have been Dick Coonan. The grainy video in the manager's office only showed a tall man walking out of the building around the time that the murder had occurred and that man could have also been Dick Coonan.

It wasn't much to go on, but right now, he was their best lead.

Dick had been cooperative, even friendly, when Espo and Ryan brought him in. That is, until he passed by where Detective Beckett was standing talking to Captain Montgomery.

And then he did the unthinkable – he knocked Ryan and Esposito to the ground and grabbed Beckett, slamming her into the wall and breaking her neck. As she crumpled, he pulled out her service weapon and shot Montgomery point blank.

Coonan turned back to where Beckett lay on the ground but before he could shoot again, both Ryan and Espo fired, killing him instantly.

Beckett had been fortunate that the break had not severed her spinal cord and had been transported immediately to a trauma hospital. Montgomery hadn't been so lucky.

She had been put into a medically induced coma to give her bruised brain time to heal but suffered a seizure several days later. In the ensuing week, her brain activity had dwindled until there was none, just the machines keeping her alive. Her father finally gave permission for her to be taken off of life support and she died peacefully with her friends and family around her.

Castle frowned at the paper he was reading – died peacefully? There didn't seem to be anything peaceful about the way Detective Beckett died; she didn't die from old age, falling asleep as her children and grandchildren looked on lovingly. She had died as the result of a violent attack and that just seemed wrong.

He continued reading as he unconsciously drummed his fingers against the table, waiting for the 'Aha' moment to hit as he discovered the resolution that tied everything together.

But there was no 'Aha' moment – no resolution – that answered the most pressing question – why had this happened – what had set Coonan off and caused him to murder two NYPD police officers in their home.

The FBI's theory was that Dick had been driven to revenge because Lockwood had killed his brother and part of him couldn't accept that he had killed someone, and so he had come to seek absolution by police suicide.

Castle scoffed as he put the papers down. Really – that was the best they could come up with? It certainly didn't fit into Cannell's three reasons to commit a murder – love, money, or to cover up a crime – unless revenge could be because Coonan loved his brother so much…Well, that might be a possibility; he would definitely get revenge if someone murdered Alexis or his mother no matter the cost to himself.

No, if he had written this, there would be another reason, one hidden in dark underbelly of a conspiracy.

He looked at his phone as the alarm went off, showing the appointment he had in one hour with Sergeant Joseph Ortiz, Beckett's training officer at the Academy.

After putting his coffee cup in the sink, Castle stacked the papers neatly together and put them back in a folder.

As he walked into his office, he nodded as he put the folder on his desk. He had to make sure to stay on track – this wasn't fiction he was writing based on subterfuge, but a homage to 2 New York police officers who had given their lives in the line of duty.

# # # # # # # # #

"Hey, it's me again, Richard Castle, the author writing your story," Castle said as he knelt in front of the grave, placing several roses he had bought at the flower stand in the urn. The sun was just dipping behind the horizon, casting long shadows and painting the sky in shades of rose gold and pinks.

"I just wanted to let you know how things were going. I talked with Ortiz – Sergeant Joseph Ortiz – today. He had nothing but great things to say about you."

Castle stood, remembering the interview. "He said that you were ranked number 1 in your class at the Academy; in fact, you had one of the highest academic scores that anyone has ever had there.

"And you broke most of the cadet records – defensive tactics, fire arms qualifications, water safety, and the ever important frisking and cuffing take down time. By the way, most of those are still standing."

Castle looked at the headstone. "I bet you'd be good at frisking and cuffing," he said with a slightly crooked smile.

He paused, his eyes narrowing in remembrance. "Ortiz said that you were determined, tenacious. Once you got on the scent of something, you wouldn't give up until you found the truth. That's what made you a great officer. And the fact that you cared about people because you knew what it was like to lose someone in that manner. He always knew you'd go into homicide."

Castle looked around the cemetery at the few people paying their respects to the departed and then looked back at the headstone.

"I tried to get ahold of Mike Royce, but couldn't find him. Ortiz says that Royce put in his years and retired. Nobody's seen him since.

"But Ortiz did give me the names of the parents of the victim in the first murder case you solved at the 12th – Trudie and Oscar Almonte. They said they'd be delighted to talk to me about the woman who helped them through the most difficult time of their lives – the woman who found justice for their son. I'm pretty sure they think you wear a cape."

He looked at his watch. "Anyway, it's getting late. I won't be back tomorrow. Alexis just got back from visiting her mother and we're going to look at colleges. Oh, I forgot to introduce you – Alexis is my daughter – 17, smart as a whip – don't know where she gets that from," he said with a slight eye roll in self-deprecation.

Castle paused again, eyes narrowing slightly. "You know, you're a lot alike. She never met a challenge that she couldn't overcome. Anyway, I'm hoping she picks a college near here. I don't think I could stand her being across the country or even across the pond," he said with a slight shiver.

"So until day after tomorrow, Detective," Castle said and then turned to leave.

He walked a step or two and then paused and turned back, walking up to the headstone and leaning in. "I've read the new stories about what happened," he whispered, "and between you and me, my tingling Spidey sense tells me that the FBI's theory about Coonan is total bs. I don't know why he did it but I know there's more to that story than what they've found. And my Spidey sense is rarely wrong."

# # # # # # # # #


	4. Ch 4 The Root of the Kate Onion

**There's Always a Story**

Summary – What if Beckett and Castle never met? What would be the consequences? Definitely AU since of course, they meet in canon. I've used some of the things that happened in Castle and tweaked them just a bit. And I borrowed some verbiage from the shows, indicated by italics.

AN: Once again, thanks so much for all the follows, favs, and reviews. They really mean a lot to me. You guys rock! Oh, yes, I don't own Castle, just writing for fun. And a happy and safe 4th to all of my American friends.

 **Chapt 4 – The Root of the Kate Onion**

# # # # # # # # #

Castle stood on the stoop of the chic building where Beckett had lived, anxiously waiting for the others who would be there shortly to pack Beckett's apartment.

Mr. Beckett – Jim now – seemed to think that doing this would give the writer a better understanding of who Beckett was, some background material for his article, and he immediately has said yes.

Castle had gotten up early so he would have time to stop at a local coffee shop and pick up several coffees and an assortment of pastries for the morning. His gesture wouldn't make what they were about to do any more palatable, but it might help soothe the hurt.

He straightened as he saw Detective Esposito pulled up to the curb. The passenger door opened and Lanie stepped out, closing the door behind her.

"I gave you the keys, right?" Espo asked through the open window.

Lanie nodded and patted her pocket. "Got them right here, babe. Just buzz after you park."

Espo nodded and drove around to the parking garage in the back of the building.

"Good morning," Castle said as Lanie walked up to him, trying not to be too cheerful. He wasn't the one who had just lost a friend.

"Mr. Castle," Lanie said with a sad smile.

"Rick," Castle replied.

Lanie nodded. "Rick. Jim said that he had invited you."

"Yeah, he thought it would give me some background on Kate," Castle said simply. He gestured to the drinks in the holder and large shopping bag. "I stopped by Daily Bliss in case anyone was thirsty or hungry," he offered lamely.

Lanie nodded. "Thanks."

"It's the least I could do," Castle replied with a shrug.

"Kevin and Jenny should be here in a minute. Jim will schedule the movers after we finish packing," Lanie said as she unlocked the entry door and led the way to Beckett's apartment.

It was on the 2nd floor, the view overlooking the street below.

Castle put the drink holder and bag on the table, and then took off his jacket, laying it on the back of a chair.

"This is very nice," he commented as he glanced around, taking in the eclectic décor and family pictures.

"Yeah, it is," Lanie nodded, running her hand over the back of the couch. "We had some good times here."

"Listen, if this is too personal, I can leave," Castle offered.

Lanie shook her head. "No, no, it's okay. It's just that this is hard."

She looked around and spied a pallet of flat boxes by a wall. "Why don't we put these together while we're waiting?"

Castle nodded. "Sure." He pulled out a pocket knife as he walked over to the boxes and cut the shipping strap.

"Here's tape," Lanie offered as she held out a roll.

They put together several boxes in silence before Castle spoke.

"I read the newspaper articles about the attack at the precinct," he started.

Lanie finished the box she was putting together and placed it on the ground. "Espo said it was pretty bad. And, at first, I thought that my girl was going to pull through. She woke up a couple of days after the attack and seemed to be coherent."

She took a deep breath. "But the next night, she had a seizure and coded. They brought her back, but she was on the respirator after that and they couldn't keep her stable. After a couple of days, there wasn't any brain activity, so Jim finally decided that enough was enough and had the respirator turned off. He said his Katie wouldn't have wanted to live that way, and those of us who knew her agreed. I think that's one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," she said, looking off into space.

"I'm sorry," Castle said quietly.

Lanie paused as she wiped a tear off her cheek. "Yeah, it took us all by surprise. Police work is dangerous – you never know what you're going to run across, but you'd never think they would die that way – at the precinct like that. You'd think they would be safe there."

Castle waited a few moments before speaking again. "So do you buy what the FBI said – that Coonan killed the man who murdered his brother and came to the precinct to make the police kill him?"

Lanie thought for a moment. "I don't know. It's possible..." She studied him for a moment, sizing him up. "Dr. Perlmutter did the autopsy…"

"And…?" Castle probed gently.

"The drug tests came back negative, but…Coonan had stage 4 pancreatic cancer," Lanie admitted. "Based on the report, he only had a couple of months at best."

"Hmmm," Castle replied. That shed a whole new light on the FBI theory. "Maybe he couldn't wait for the police to bring his brother's murderer to justice so he decided to do it himself."

A buzz interrupted them.

Lanie walked over and punched the intercom button. "It's open, Javi."

Espo walked into the apartment a few moments later, carrying a banker's box.

"Sorry, I had to circle a few times and wait for someone to leave. But I did find this sorry excuse for a cop looking for a space too," he said as Ryan and Jenny walked in.

# # # # # # # # #

The 5 of them made quick work of putting the boxes together and then came up with a plan for packing Beckett's belonging.

Lanie and Jenny would take the bedroom and bathroom, Ryan and Espo would take the living and den area, and, since he was tall, Castle would take the kitchen.

Castle started to open the banker's box that was sitting on the kitchen table when Espo stopped him.

"That's just the stuff from Kate's desk," the Hispanic detective said. "It's good the way it is," he said, moving it into the den.

"Okay," Castle nodded and started taking items out of the drawers.

He had finished the drawers and was walking over to the kitchen cabinets when Lanie came rushing out of the bedroom, tears streaming down her face.

"I can't do this, Javi – it's too soon," she sobbed as Espo wrapped her in his arms.

"Hey, it's okay, chica. It can wait – we don't have to do this today," he said as he comforted her. "Why don't I take you home?"

Lanie nodded, her sobs slowly ending.

Espo looked at the others. "Let's call it a day."

"Sure," said Ryan as he put his arm around Jenny.

"Why don't I lock up?" Castle offered. "I'm seeing Jim later today and can give him the keys."

Espo nodded as he led Lanie to the door. "Thanks, I appreciate that. Tell him that we'll try again in a couple of weeks."

Ryan and Jenny said their goodbyes also as they walked out of the apartment.

Castle started to pick up his jacket and then stopped mid-motion. He didn't have any emotional attachment, other than writing about Kate, so he could man up and make a dent in the task so that the others wouldn't have to.

He finished packing the rest of the kitchen and then moved to the bedroom. Several pictures had been left on the bed and he picked one up.

It was a picture of a much younger Kate in skates with a woman next to her – maybe her mother. Another one was a family portrait of Kate and Jim, with the same woman – definitely her mother – on a beach.

He carefully placed them back on the nightstand and started towards the dresser and then thought better of it. She probably wouldn't want a strange man going through her drawers, which made him think inappropriately of what he would find there. Thongs? Cheekies? Bloomers? Granny panties? Or heaven forbid, nothing if she went commando?

No, that was definitely not going in the article and he should be ashamed of himself for thinking it. Yeah, this was Lanie and Jenny territory – or maybe he could get his mother to come over and help?

Castle walked back into the living area and started to examine the book shelves. Based on the number of books, Kate had been an avid reader.

He paused as he got to War and Peace – in Russian, no less – and then smiled when he saw his books on a lower shelf, slightly out of the way. A secret admirer perhaps?

He picked up one of the more dog-eared books and turned to the inside front cover to check the publication date and was startled to see his autograph.

He slowly shook his head – they had met and he didn't even remember it.

He picked the next one up and checked the inside cover. This time, the autograph was to Johanna Beckett. So he had met her mother also.

Castle placed the books back on the shelf almost reverently and then stood, walking back to the kitchen area to check and make sure he had packed everything before he started in the den.

He had packed several boxes of books and then took a break, drinking one of the coffees that he had brought. It was cold now, but still had a kick.

As he looked around the den, he saw the edge of a piece of paper sticking out from behind the closed shutters on a window. Curious, he walked over and opened the shutters and then took a step back, taking a deep breath and staring at the site in front of him.

Scraps of paper lined the window and the inside of the shutters, and he knew exactly what it was, what Kate had been doing. He used the same method when detailing the plot of a book.

It was a murder board and not just any murder board – it was the murder board for Johanna Beckett.

He quickly made a decision and grabbed the nearest thing he could find – the banker's box from her desk at the precinct – and carefully took down everything, putting the pieces of paper in the box, making sure no trace of what Kate had been doing remained.

Castle put on his jacket, picked up the box, and walked out of the apartment.

# # # # # # # # #

By the time he got to his loft and put the banker's box on his desk, Castle was almost having second thoughts about what he had done.

None of her friends and co-workers had said anything about this; in fact, they had said just the opposite – that she had put it all behind her and moved on with her life.

But he had the proof that she hadn't, and if Kate hadn't told anyone what she was doing, who was he to tell them?

Maybe this was a sign from the universe that someone else needed to look at what she had found. And since he had found the proverbial pot of gold, the universe had declared that someone to be him – a fresh pair of eyes that might see something that had been overlooked.

He huffed as he sat down in his office chair. Who was he kidding? Even though he fancied himself a master at research, he wasn't a trained investigator. This wasn't fiction, this was real life, and that's what he needed to focus on right now. Well, in just a minute anyway, he thought as he looked at the box.

Castle stood and opened the box, pulling out the various scraps of paper, reading them before stacking them on the desk.

He then reached back in the box and pulled out a sculpture of an elephant family. He smiled as he examined it and then put it on the nearest bookcase.

Kate didn't have many personal mementoes in the box, so this must have been special. He'd ask Jim about it later on when he returned the box to him, minus the murder board information, of course.

Inspired, Castle let out a breath and then sat down at his desk and started typing on his laptop.

# # # # # # # #

"Hey, it's me again, Rick Castle," Castle said that evening. "I finished your article today and let your father read it. He seemed pleased, so I sent it to Bob for publication. The next article will be on Captain Montgomery. I should have that finished in the next couple of days."

He paused, frowning and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I know your secret, Kate," Castle whispered, "and I want you to know that it's safe with me. I took the…items…so your friends wouldn't find them when they go back to your apartment."

He glanced around to see if anyone was within earshot and then leaned closer to the headstone. "And I asked your father if he would be okay with me reopening your mother's case. Maybe a fresh pair of eyes can see what someone else missed. Because I know that if something had happened to Alexis or my mother, I wouldn't stop looking until I found the bastard who did it."

He straightened, a serious expression on his face. "I'll keep you updated, so until tomorrow, Detective."

# # # # # #


	5. Ch 5 Death Comes for a Visit

**There's Always a Story**

Summary – What if Beckett and Castle never met? What would be the consequences? Definitely AU since of course, they meet in canon. I've used some of the things that happened in Castle and tweaked them just a bit.

AN: Once again, thanks so much for all the follows, favs, and reviews. They really mean a lot to me. You guys rock! Oh, yes, I don't own Castle, just writing for fun and because there won't be any new episodes of Castle – really sad face. And I'm borrowing dialog again from several episodes, which is shown in italics and rearranged slightly to fit the story. Happy birthday, Nettie S.

 **Chapt 5 – Death Comes for a Visit**

# # # # # # # # #

"Hey, Pumpkin, how's Grams and the Hamptons?" Castle asked, holding his phone between his ear and shoulder while he poured a cup of coffee. "Great, that's just great. Yes, I'm just finishing up the article on Captain Montgomery and have a meeting in a few minutes, and I'll be leaving after that," he said as he checked his watch. "See you tonight. Love you too."

When the conversation ended, he grabbed the phone with his opposite hand and thumbed it off.

Carrying the mug, Castle walked into his office, sat down, and carefully sipped the steaming brew while he silently read the article.

Evelyn Montgomery had been gracious, allowing him into her home during her time of mourning and had shared with him stories about her late husband. Some were funny, some were sad, but they all pointed to the fact that Roy Montgomery had been a good man, a noble man, and a great father. She and their daughters were struggling with the sudden loss.

The brass at 1PP said the same thing – Montgomery had served his city well, he was a public officer without vices, a man without guile. He was a tough but fair commander and looked out for his people, nurturing them with a firm hand and coaxing the best from them.

Captain Roy Montgomery would be missed.

Castle nodded as he finished reading the article and tapped the Send button to deliver it to Bob's assistant for publication.

When he heard the knock on the door, he smiled ironically.

As usual, Death was right on time – Dr. Death, that is.

"Dr. Murray, it's good to see you again," Castle said as he opened the door for his friend and welcomed him inside. "Thanks for your help. Do you want something to drink?"

"Coffee, if you have it – black," Murray replied as he walked to the kitchen table. He pulled a large envelope out of his briefcase.

"I looked at the photos that you sent," he said, a serious expression permanently living on his face. He took some pictures out of the envelope and laid them down on the kitchen table. "Unsolved case, you said?"

Castle nodded as he handed the man a cup. "Yes. Detective Beckett's mother, Johanna Beckett."

Murray nodded as he picked up one picture, studying it. " _The original M.E. concluded that the stab wounds were random. Now, maybe the killer got lucky, but see this wound here?"_

Castle looked at the picture. " _Yeah_?"

" _It's a low-angle thrust to the kidney. The wound size indicated that the knife was twisted. Her body would've gone into immediate shock,"_ Murray explained.

Castle pointed to the other stab wounds. _"What about these?"_

" _Well, their angles indicate that they were delivered after she was immobilized and on the ground. They're just for show. This is the one that killed her,"_ he said, pointing to the first stab wound.

Castle frowned. _"This is sounding less like a random killing, more like a targeted murder."_

Murray nodded. _"There's more. On a hunch, I checked the City M.E. files to see if this was an isolated incident and found three other stabbings around that time, that the M.E. working the case dismissed as random."_

" _Were they related?"_ Castle asked.

"I think so," said Murray. " _One of them was a former law student of hers. Another one, a documents clerk. The third one, a lawyer for a non-profit_."

Castle frowned as he stared at the pictures, trying to make sense of the information. "Sounds like they stumbled onto something while working a case with Johanna Beckett."

"Quite possibly," Murray responded. "But here's where it gets even stranger," he said, pulling another photo from the envelope. "When I ran the search, another victim popped up – he had been killed in the same manner as Johanna Beckett and the others. It was Jack Coonan."

"Jack Coonan?" Castle said in surprise, looking at the photo. "The brother of the man who killed Beckett and Montgomery?"

Murray nodded. " _I used tomographic reconstruction of Coonan's wounds to generate a 3-D model of the blade used. It's a Special Operations Group knife, the kind favored by Special Forces in Gulf War I. He kills with a single blow, using these other wounds to camouflage the skill with which the initial stroke was delivered._ "

"And the ME didn't find any of this?" Castle queried as he looked at the replica of the knife that Murray had placed on the table.

Murray shook his head. "The police thought they had Jack Coonan's murderer, so they didn't look any further. And they attributed Johanna Beckett's murder to random violence."

Shaking his head, Castle let out a breath. "None of this makes any sense."

"Who said that murder was supposed to be logical?" asked Murray rhetorically.

"The people I play poker with," Castle said almost as an afterthought. "I need to tell Detectives Esposito and Ryan about this. Can if I keep these?"

"I made duplicates," Murray replied. He shrugged at Castle's questioning look. "Sometimes evidence disappears."

"Thanks again for your help, Doctor. I really appreciate it," Castle said.

"No problem," said Murray, smiling grimly. "You always bring me the very best violence."

# # # # # # # # #

After Dr. Murray left, Castle pulled out the card that Detective Esposito had given him and dialed the number on it.

The call went to voice mail – "You're reached the desk of Detective Esposito, 12th precinct. I am currently out of the office. If this is a life-threatening emergency, hang up and call 911. If it's not a life-threatening emergency, leave a message and I will call you back as soon as possible."

Castle waited for the beep. "This is Richard Castle – we met last week. I have some new information on Johanna Beckett's murder that I wanted to give you. I'm on my way out of town, so I'll drop it by the precinct."

# # # # # # # # # # #

"Everyone really liked your article, but you can't go wrong with good source material; it makes the story so much easier to write," Castle confessed as he placed flowers in front of the headstone. "I sent the article on Captain Montgomery to Bob today so that should come out in the next couple of days."

He paused, frowning. "Remember when I told you that my Spidey senses were tingling? Well, they're never wrong. I asked a friend to look into your mother's case. His nickname is Dr. Death – strange name, yeah, but it suits him – he's the Yoda of forensic pathologists, the master of ME's. Detective Ryan said that you liked the weird cases, so I think you'd like him. He helped me on several Derrick Storm books."

Castle stalled, trying to think of how much to say. "He found something things that didn't add up about your mother's case – and it may tie into…what happened to you and Captain Montgomery. I'm on the way out of town for the weekend, but I'll drop the file by the 12th so Detective Esposito can look at it."

He put a hand on the headstone. "Maybe they can find justice for you and for her. Well, good night, Detective. I'll see you when I get back."

Castle nodded and then turned to walk to his car.

As he reached for his door, his phone buzzed. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and glanced at the display. It read "Unlisted" – maybe Detective Esposito had gotten his message and was calling him back?

"Castle," he said.

"I read your article on Detective Katherine Beckett," said the voice. "Quite impressive. She was a good kid. It was a shame what happened to her."

Castle frowned, realizing he was not speaking to Detective Esposito. "Who is this? How did you get this number?"

"Someone with information and I have my sources," the man continued. "Your next article is about Roy Montgomery and I'm sure everyone has told you really nice things about him. But if you want the truth, you'll meet me at the coffee shop at 4th and Main at 9 tomorrow morning. And come alone."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because Roy is the reason that Johanna Beckett and Kate Beckett were murdered," said the voice.

Castle stared at his phone as the call ended abruptly and then back at the headstone in the distance.

He quickly made up his mind. He was sure that Alexis and Martha were at the beach and, sure enough, the call went to voice mail. "Hey, Pumpkin, something's come up. I'm not going to be there until tomorrow evening. Just save some pie for me."

# # # # # # # #


	6. Ch 6 The Real Montgomery

**There's Always a Story**

Summary – What if Beckett and Castle never met? What would be the consequences? Definitely AU since of course, they meet in canon. I've used some of the things that happened in Castle and tweaked them just a bit and borrowed dialog shown in italics.

AN: Once again, thanks so much for all the follows, favs, and reviews. They really mean a lot to me. You guys rock! And kudos to those of you who found the Easter eggs in the last chapter. Oh, yes, I don't own Castle.

 **Chapt 6 – The Real Montgomery**

# # # # # # # # #

The coffee shop at 4th and Main was an old-fashion mom and pop shop that still used china for serving beverages, rather than a chain with their disposable logo-stamped cups.

Castle looked around the semi-crowded shop and then nodded slightly when an older man in a corner table caught his eye and motioned him over.

The man looked haggard, days old stubble dotting his chin, gnarled fingers curled around a delicate cup that contained a steaming brew.

"You called me?" Castle said as he stopped at the table, looking down at the man.

"Have a seat and take a load off. You want a cup?" the man asked.

"No, thanks. I've already had some," Castle said as he pulled out the chair and sat down.

" _Everybody drinks their coffee out of cardboard cups these days_ ," the man said, looking around at the people in the shop. " _Or those plastic travel mugs. But there's – there's something about ceramic that warms your hands...it's weird, the things you notice. I just got the long face from the doc._ Lung cancer _. Six months_."

The man held a napkin to his mouth as he hacked loud enough to catch the attention of some of the people in the coffee shop.

As the coughing continued, Castle wasn't sure if he should offer to help the man by pounding him on the back, so he started to stand, but the man waved his hand to dismiss him.

The coughing fit finally subsided and the man sat back in his chair, wheezing and finally catching his breath. "But, hell, the drugs that the doc is pumping me full off could kill me any minute too," he said in a hoarse voice.

"Imminent death seems to be going around," Castle responded as he looked at the man grimly.

The man nodded. "Yeah. I'm John Raglan – I was the lead investigator on the Johanna Beckett's murder," the man said tersely.

Castle nodded in recognition at the name. "I read the reports."

"Yeah, the official reports. Well," Raglan said, picking up the cup and taking a sip to soothe his throat, "they don't tell you everything."

"So what don't the reports tell me?" Castle asked.

"All in good time," said Raglan. He paused, hacking again and then wheezing slightly. " _Every year around the holidays they – they run that Christmas Carol on local TV. When I was a kid, I remember Jacob Marley scared the hell out of me. Forced to drag that – that chain around in the next world_."

Castle nodded. " _I wear the chain I forged in life_."

" _I made it link by link_ ," Raglan said. " _I hid a lot of sins behind my badge, and now I gotta carry them. But Johanna Beckett's case, that one weighs a ton_."

" _Why? Because you wrote it off as random gang violence when you knew it wasn't_?" Castle queried.

" _I did what I was told. And I kept quiet because I was afraid_." He started to pick up the cup again and then put it down without taking a sip. "Now, I'm the last one left and it's up to me to open the bottle and toast to the others. But before I do, I need to lighten my load."

Raglan looked out the window, remembering. "We thought we were doing the right thing – purging the city of the scum feeding on it. What we did wasn't legal, wasn't pretty, and, in the end, we were no better than they were."

"Who's we?" Castle asked.

Raglan smiled slightly. "No, no – I don't speak ill of the dead. I'll be joining them soon enough any way."

He studied Castle with a wiry smile. "You're a smart man – you'll figure that out. But what I can tell you is how this whole stinking pile of shit started." He leaned closer and said quietly, "We were kidnapping mobsters off the street, holding them for ransom, making them pay for their crimes, raking in what was a fortune compared to a cop's salary."

Raglan wheezed again as he let out a breath and sat back. "But 19 years ago, we made a bad mistake."

Castle bit down a retort about his opinion of what they had been doing. "One of the kidnappings went wrong," he guessed.

Raglan nodded, touching the side of his nose with a finger. "Give the man the prize. One night, we targeted a mobster named Joe Pulgatti – he was as bad as they come – so we went to pick him up and shake him down. But there was a man with him – Bob Armen. He got in the way, got killed. What we didn't know was that he was an undercover FBI agent."

Raglan picked up the cup again and took a sip, scowling at the now slightly cold brew. "When Armen was killed, someone found out what we were doing and made everything go away."

"So there was a cover-up?" Castle asked.

"Yeah," nodded Raglan. "But there was a price. He demanded to be cut in on the action or else he'd make everything come back."

Another loud coughing fit interrupted the conversation. After a couple of moments, he sat back and took another sip of the beverage. "We knew what they do to dirty cops in prison and we couldn't put our families through that, so we made a deal with the devil."

"Who is he?" Castle asked.

"We'll call him the dragon for now." Raglan took another sip and then coughed slightly. "We had a second chance and two of us squandered it, but the third one didn't. Pulgatti took a plea deal for the murder. But after a couple of years in prison, he wrote Johanna Beckett a letter saying that he was innocent and she took the case and was looking into it before she died."

Raglan coughed thickly into the napkin again and put a hand on his chest for a few seconds. "When you're in bed with the devil, you need fire insurance to use when he turns on you, because at some point he will. You know his sins and he can't have that.

"But then a friend said he had something more – something that would put the dragon away forever," Raglan wheezed. "He sent that evidence to Johanna Beckett."

Castle frowned. "If Johanna Beckett had the evidence, why didn't she do anything with it?"

Raglan shook his head. "Who knows? She may not have known what it was or maybe she didn't trust anyone in the DA's office. But she was killed 1 day later. That's the night I met Kate Beckett – the night I told them that her mother and his wife had been murdered."

"So no one knows about this evidence, where it is?" Castle questioned.

Raglan shook his head and coughed loudly. "No, things would have been different if they did – hell, Detective Beckett and Roy would still be alive, and Johanna Beckett."

Castle leaned forward slightly. "So who is the dragon?"

"William Bracken," Raglan said in a low voice. "Former DA, now Senator."

Castle looked at the man in surprise. "I met him at a fund raiser. Are you sure?"

"Did I meet the man personally – no," said Raglan. "He always worked through…I guess he considered him the weakest link of our trio, but he wasn't. The only reason that this friend helped us was that he owed him."

"But this is all circumstantial," Castle said.

"And there's the rub. We have the money trail, but that would just get Bracken on extortion charges and a short stay in a white-collar prison. Only the evidence that Johanna Beckett had can send him away," Raglan said. He fixed Castle with an intense stare. "And it's up to you to find that proof."

"Okay," said Castle, slightly doubting the man's story.

Raglan started to cough again and then clutched as his chest, turning a ghastly white and then slumping over, knocking the tea cup off the table as his arm failed out.

As Castle jumped up to aid the man, the cup fell to the floor and shattered.

Castle quickly maneuvered the limp man onto the floor and felt for a pulse, and then not finding one, looked around at the people staring in horror.

"You," he said, pointing to a young woman standing nearby. "Call 911 – tell them he doesn't have a pulse and he's not breathing."

Castle then looked at a waitress. "Do you have a defibrillator?"

The waitress shook her head. "No, no," she stammered.

Castle swore and felt the man's chest to position his hands correctly and started CPR. "There she goes walking down the street…" he chanted, pressing to the beat of the song.

# # # # # # # # #

"Hey, it's me again," Castle said and took a deep breath. "I didn't have time to pick up flowers because it's been a crazy day. I met the lead officer in your mother's investigation and then he died. Took forever to give my statement to the police. Dr. Parrish says it looks like a heart attack, but she'll know more after Dr. Perlmutter performs the autopsy."

He ran a hand through his hair and frowned. "Raglan said some things – made some accusations that I'm not sure are true. But if they are…how do you tell people that their mentor betrayed them?"

Castle paused. "I'm going to call Esposito and tell him what Raglan told me. I don't think that's going to go over well. And I'm not going out of town after all – it looks like I'm going on a treasure hunt instead."

# # # # # # # # #


	7. Chapter 7 Hunting for Treasure

**There's Always a Story**

Summary – What if Beckett and Castle never met? What would be the consequences? Definitely AU since of course, they meet in canon. I've used some of the things that happened in Castle and tweaked them just a bit; dialog borrowed verbatim is shown in italics.

AN: Once again, thanks so much for all the follows, favs, and reviews. They really mean a lot to me. You guys rock! I still don't own Castle. If I did, season 8 would have been totally different and probably some of the earlier episode.

 **Chapt 7 – Hunting for Treasure**

# # # # # # # # #

" _Will Turner: 'That's not true. I am not obsessed with treasure.'  
Jack Sparrow: 'Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.'"  
_― Pirates of the Caribbean

# # # # # # # # #

It had taken Castle a good 30 minutes and floor tickets to the Knicks to convince Detectives Esposito and Ryan to meet with him after work without revealing why they should, other than he had new information about Detective Beckett and Captain Montgomery.

Since they were a man short, the murder bullpen at the 12th was up to its eyeballs in cases and the detectives hadn't had a day off in two weeks, so their spare time was precious to them.

To make matters worse, Captain Montgomery's home had just been robbed. No one had been hurt and the suspected thief had been found dead in an alley a few hours after it happened. The items he had taken from the house were still missing.

Much to the chagrin of Esposito and Ryan, Captain Gates had asked the 11th precinct to handle both cases. She was as by the books as they came and wouldn't allow her people to investigate a case linked to one of their own, even posthumously.

Castle was sure that If he had gone to the precinct to tell them what Raglan had said, she would let them investigate that either, so he had chosen a place that few people knew about where they talk unobserved. And it was the perfect place for such a clandestine meeting.

When Castle found out that the owner of one of his favorite bars had been murdered a couple of months ago (the case still unsolved), he jumped at the chance and bought the bar before it could go back to the bank and be turned into a cookie-cutter establishment. So far, it had been a good investment.

He also knew that this was one place where they wouldn't be overheard. Having "worked" in the spy business for several years, Castle had collected a wide variety of gadgets – one of the perks of writing 007 – and swept his office at the bar regularly for bugs, not that he really needed to – it was just that the blinking lights fascinated him.

So he waited anxiously for Esposito and Ryan to join him in his office, checking several times to make sure he had everything set out for the impromptu dinner. Maybe with what he was going to tell them, he should have served chateaubriand and lobster, rather than sandwiches from one of the best delis in town.

Castle looked up as the door opened and the two detectives walked down the stairs, followed by Dr. Parrish.

"Detective Esposito, Ryan," he said, nodding, and then looked at Lanie. "Dr. Parrish."

"Listen, Kate was my best friend, so whatever you've got to say to these two, you can tell me also," she said in a tone that brooked no nonsense.

"Yes, ma'am," Castle replied, properly schooled.

"You sounded serious on the phone," said Ryan.

"Two center court tickets serious," Espo added, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, as serious as a heart attack," Castle replied and then paused at their slightly startled expressions. "Sorry – too soon?"

He motioned to the spread. "Why don't you help yourselves and we can talk while you eat."

"Okay," said Esposito warily as he started to fix his plate. But his mother taught him to never pass up a free meal.

"Do you want something to drink?" Castle asked as he opened the door to a small refrigerator. "Beer, water?"

"Beer," the detectives replied in unison. They were technically off the clock now.

"I'll take water," Lanie said. "Murder never sleeps and I have to go back in a little while."

Castle waited until they sat down at the table to begin. "You read the reports about what happened to John Raglan this morning?"

Ryan nodded between bites. "Sounds like an interesting time."

"Yeah, the official reports – they don't tell you everything," Castle commented and then almost chuckled at the irony of the statement.

"You lied to the police?" Esposito asked before taking a bite out of his sandwich. "You realize we could arrest you for that," he said matter-of-factly around a mouth-full of food.

"More like told them what they expected," Castle said, taking a deep breath. "Because I wasn't sure whom to trust."

Ryan put down his sandwich. "Why don't you walk us through what happened?"

Castle nodded. "Raglan called me last night. He said that he had read the article on Detective Beckett and saw that I was writing the next one on Roy Montgomery." He paused as the detectives sat back and waited.

"Raglan said that he was sure everyone had told me very nice things about Montgomery but if I wanted the truth, I should meet him this morning at the coffee shop…"

Castle paused for a moment before ripping off the band-aid off. "Raglan said that Captain Montgomery – no, Roy – so they must have known each other – was the reason that Johanna Beckett, Detective Beckett, and Montgomery himself were killed."

Esposito, Ryan, and Parrish looked at him in shock for a moment before exploding.

"No," said Ryan, shaking his head in disbelief. "There's no way he was the reason."

"Raglan doesn't know what the hell he's talking about," exclaimed Esposito, scowling at the thought.

Castle waited for a moment for them to calm down. "Listen, detectives, doctor – I don't know you and you don't know me, and I don't know if what Raglan told me was true, but if it was, then I – we owe it to Detective Beckett to find out."

"So tell us what he told you," Esposito said brusquely as he pushed his plate out of the way, all thoughts of eating forgotten.

Castle nodded. "Raglan didn't mention Roy by name other than saying that he was the reason Kate and her mother were killed. What he did say was that years ago, he and 2 other cops were kidnapping mobsters and making them pay a ransom—"

"No, no way – Captain Montgomery wasn't dirty," interrupted Esposito.

Ryan put a hand on his partner's shoulder. "Let's hear the man out, Javi."

"Then 19 years ago, they targeted a mobster named Joe Pulgatti. When they went to pick him up, there was a man with him – Bob Armen. He was an undercover FBI agent and he was killed that night."

Ryan frowned. "But the feds would have investigated that, tracked them down."

"Only if they had known about it, but the crime was covered up and Pulgatti took the blame." Castle drew a breath. "Raglan said the man who covered it up was William Bracken – he was with the DA's office back then."

"Senator William Bracken?" asked Espo, frowning. "You know how crazy that sounds?"

Castle nodded. "Raglan said he had proof that Bracken was involved in the cover up. He had the money trail that would put Bracken in a white collar jail for a couple of years."

"Okay, let's assume that Bracken was involved. What does Johanna Beckett have to do with this?" asked Ryan.

"Pulgatti took a plea deal, but after a couple of years in prison, he changed his mind and asked Johnna Beckett to reopen his case. That's what she was looking into before she was killed.

"But she wasn't killed because she reopened the case – she was killed because she was sent evidence that would put Bracken away forever," Castle said.

Lanie shook her head. "No – if Kate's mother had known about it, she would have turned it in."

"She may have not known what it was or maybe she didn't trust anyone in the DA's office," Castle replied. "But Johanna Beckett was killed 1 day after the evidence was given to her."

"So far, this is all circumstantial," Ryan said, eyeing him warily. "Did Raglan say who this friend was?"

Castle shook his head. "No; that's about the time he keeled over and died."

Espo jumped to his feet and started pacing, fuming. "There's no way that Captain Montgomery would have been involved in any of this. Raglan was lying."

"Look," said Castle, "I'm just telling you what he said. But what if it's true? What if Bracken had Captain Montgomery and Detective Beckett killed to cover up his involvement?"

He looked at Lanie. "If someone knew that Raglan was going to talk to me, they might have poisoned him. Could you tell if they had?"

"No," Lanie said, shaking her head. "The man was on so many prescribed drugs – some of them experimental – that it would be hard to confirm."

Castle let out a breath as he grasped at straws. "Okay…okay…what about Detective Beckett? You said you thought she was getting better and then she took a turn for the worse before she died. What if they got to her?"

"What do you mean?" asked Ryan.

"Killed her while she was at the hospital." He looked at Lanie again. "If her body were exhumed, you could find out if she was poisoned, right?"

He looked at the others as they glanced at each other uneasily. "What? What am I missing?"

Lanie pressed her lips together, a sad expression on her face. "Sweetie, we can't exhume Kate's body. She had made arrangements to donate it to the CSI farm when she died."

"The CSI farm?" Castle asked, confused.

"The place where CSI and MEs study the effects of murder on the human body," Esposito said uncomfortably.

"Seriously?" Castle exclaimed. "How did I not know about that?"

"We don't advertise – it's a touchy subject," said Lanie. "Police work is risky business and Kate wanted to make sure she could help after her death." She paused. "It's been a couple of weeks, so there's probably nothing viable to work with now."

Castle gulped slightly. "Oh, okay."

He stood and started pacing, thoughts spinning in his head, and then reached a decision. "What if I can show you something that proves there is a conspiracy?"

"There's more?" Ryan asked.

Castle nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's back at the loft. But we'll need to make a stop first."

# # # # # # # # # #

"Hey, it's me again," Castle said as he looked over to where Esposito and Ryan waited sat in the car and then back at the headstone. "I told them what Raglan said, and yeah, it didn't go over well."

He paused running a hand through his hair. "Kate, I'm sorry – I have to tell them your secret – show them what I found. That's the only way they'll believe me and we can find the evidence that your mother was given. I hope you can forgive me."

# # # # # # # # # #

AN – So if Castle now owns the bar and they haven't found out the stash, does that mean Castle owns it when they find it?


	8. Chapt 8 Unlocking the Mystery

**There's Always a Story**

Summary – What if Beckett and Castle never met in "Flowers for Your Grave"? What would be the consequences? Definitely AU since of course, that's where they meet in canon. I've used some of the things that happened in Castle and tweaked them just a bit; borrowed dialog is shown in italics.

 **Chapt 8 – Unlocking the Mystery**

# # # # # # # # #

"So what's this other evidence?" asked Ryan as Castle climbed into the car after the brief visit.

Castle leaned forward, resting his arms against the tops of the front seats. He hadn't been able to convince them to let him ride shotgun so he had been relegated to the back. They had dropped Lanie at the morgue before stopping at the cemetery.

"Tsk – seatbelt," chided Esposito, looking at him in the rear-view mirror.

Castle huffed and settled back on the seat, buckling his seatbelt.

"So?" Ryan prompted again.

"I asked Jim Beckett if I could look into his wife's murder and he agreed," Castle said. "So I got Bob to give me the case records."

"Bob?" Ryan asked.

"The mayor," Castle replied.

"What?" Esposito almost shrieked.

"After you left Detective Beckett's apartment, I found out that she had been investigating the case," Castle explained. "I simply picked up where she left off."

Esposito shook his head. "No way. She would have told us. We would have known."

"Well, she didn't," Castle replied. "I have a friend – Dr. Murray—"

"Dr. Death," interjected Ryan. "I've heard of him."

"I asked him to look at the pictures. He said that Johanna Beckett was killed by a single stab wound to the kidney," Castle said.

"Nah, I've seen the pictures. We all have," Esposito admitted, glancing at Ryan. "She was stabbed multiple times."

"But only 1 wound was fatal," Castle replied. "The rest were for show. On a hunch, he checked the records to see if there were any other murders committed the same way around the same time. He found three. Around the same time Johanna Beckett was killed, a former law student of hers was killed, as was a documents clerk and a lawyer for a non-profit. And then he found the 4th."

"Who's the 4th," said Esposito, glancing at Castle in the rear-view mirror as he drove.

"Jack Coonan."

Esposito slammed the car to a halt as he stopped at a red light and twisted to look at Castle. "Is your friend sure?"

Castle nodded. "Yeah, he's the best."

As the light turned green, angry honks from the car behind him earned a glare from Esposito and he pressed on the gas.

"So you think that someone killed Jack Coonan so Dick Coonan could come down to the precinct and kill Montgomery and Beckett?" Ryan asked. "And the person behind this is Bracken? That sounds like one of your novels."

"Why didn't the ME on Johanna Beckett's case connect the murders?" Esposito asked as they pulled into the garage at Castle's loft and parked.

Castle shook his head as they walked to the elevator and Castle waved his fob at it. "I don't know. Maybe he was paid off not to connect them, maybe he was incompetent, but he died 7 years ago. So the only way to talk to him is if we have a séance."

"Then we can ask Raglan to join us too so we can get his side of the story," Esposito retorted. "So where's this evidence?"

"In my office," said Castle as he opened the door and led them inside.

Esposito stopped short as he walked into Castle's office and saw the familiar banker's box on the desk. "Where'd you get that? Did you steal that from Beckett's apartment?" he demanded.

"No, I just borrowed it," Castle said. "I was going to give it back. I had to have something to put her files in."

Ryan walked over to the desk and took the lid off the box and then frowned. "So your evidence is the stuff from Beckett's desk?" he asked sarcastically.

"No, no," said Castle, reaching the desk in 2 strides and looking in the box. "I put everything in there this morning – the articles about the murders – the pictures – the replica of the knife…I don't understand."

"So maybe someone broke in and stole them?" offered Ryan.

Castle shook his head as he looked through the drawers in his desk. "No, I had the locks upgraded when I went to London because my mother was staying here alone. Powell said they were bump-proof. No one could have broken in."

"And Powell is…?" asked Ryan.

"An ex-jewel thief that I know," Castle said as he dropped to his knees to look around his desk. "I used him in one of my books."

"Uh, huh," commented Ryan. He reached inside the box and fished something out from under some of the papers. "You also like stealing women's underwear?"

"What?" Castle's head snapped up. He stood and looked at the object in Ryan's hand. "No, no – I didn't put that in there."

Esposito growled suddenly, whirling on Castle and slamming him into the nearest bookcase, knocking off several objects in the process. "I don't know what you're playing at, Mr. Castle, but you realize we can make you disappear?"

"Yes, of course," Castle said in self-defense, trying to keep Esposito's forearm from choking him. "And I'm not playing."

Esposito released him with a disgusted huff. "Come on, Kevin. We're done here."

"I swear everything was here this morning before I left," Castle said as Ryan put the top back on the box and picked it up.

Esposito looked at Castle again. "You may be friends with the mayor, but I will make you bleed if you bother us again."

As he turned, he saw the elephants sitting on the bookshelf. "You should be ashamed of yourself. Those were her mother's."

Always in sync (mostly), Esposito reach for the elephants at the same time Ryan moved, the banker's box hitting the Hispanic detective's elbow, causing his hand to miss and knock the elephants off the shelf.

He made a clumsy attempt to grab them and then swore as they hit the ground, breaking apart.

They all stopped and stared at the micro-cassette tape that had been hidden inside the elephants.

"You said these belonged to Johanna Beckett?" Castle asked as he reached for the tape.

# # # # # # # # #

"Hey, it's me again – I bet you thought I forgot about you," Castle said as he knelt and laid a large bouquet of roses, lilies, and baby's breath in front of the headstone. "I didn't. It's just that I've been very busy the last few days connecting all the dots."

He stood and then said quietly, "We did it, Kate – you and me – and, well, Epso and Ryan – and Captain Gates – she got involved when we told her what we found."

He took a breath. "We got justice for you and your mother and arrested the man who arranged the murders – Senator William Bracken. I'm sure you've heard of him. He thought you and Montgomery were threats so that's why he had you killed. And your mother.

"When he was with the DA's office, he found out that 3 dirty cops were kidnapping mobsters and holding them for ransom. An undercover FBI agent was accidentally killed by one of them. Bracken made the whole thing go away and blackmailed the cops into giving him a huge portion of the take. He framed a mobster named Joe Pulgatti for the murder.

"But several years later, Pulgatti decided he didn't like prison and contacted your mother about reopening his case. She did, and Bracken took her out so she couldn't expose him.

"That's what was on the tape we found – Bracken giving the order for her murder. I don't know who made the tape or how your mother got it, but she hid it in the elephants. I don't think she knew what it was, otherwise, things would have turned out so differently."

Castle paused, smiling slightly. "And it didn't help Bracken's case when the man hired to find all of the evidence rolled on him when he was caught. Cole Maddox – Esposito says that he's a ghost because the only information we can find on him is recent; he didn't exist until a year ago.

"And Maddox may well be a ghost because he broke into my loft which I was assured had a security system to rival Ft. Knox. But that's where his plan fell apart – the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. We got great pictures of him and the key tag to car he had rented.

"Espo and Ryan were able to trace the key tag and use the GPS to locate him yesterday. Oh, and apparently, he broke into your apartment because he took your underwear and left it at my place to make me look bad.

"We only had Maddox on the B&E's, but he rolled on Bracken the moment the Feds swooped in to take him into custody and wanted to make a plea deal. But Jackson Hunt, the FBI agent sent to pick Maddox up, wasn't interested and hauled him away this morning.

"And that's not all. After Maddox was arrested, copies of bank statements detailing the payments to one of Bracken's offshore accounts were delivered to Captain Gates by courier. Because of that, the FBI has forensic accountants examining Bracken's financial records. That should be enough to put him away for the rest of his life."

Castle's eyes brow knit together as he thought for a moment. "That's the good news, Kate. But there's also bad news. Raglan was the lead officer on your mother's murder – he was one of the dirty cops. Gary McAllister was the second, but the third dirty cop – we think it was Roy Montgomery. Espo and Ryan looked at Raglan's arrest records from back then and found that some of the names of the officers involved had been changed. And a retired police man has a picture of Roy, Raglan, and McAllister together from back then.

"It's all circumstantial and only Espo, Ryan, and I know about this, and I don't know what to do," Castle said with a sigh. "If this gets out, it will ruin Montgomery's reputation – he'll only be remembered for that, not for any of the good that he did. And Evelyn and his daughters will lose his benefits, not to mention what it would do to the 12th.

"My head tells me to tell the truth, write a follow-up expose on Bracken and the dirty cops, but I'd probably lose my street cred as a journalist since I wrote the article about Montgomery in the first place – good thing I'm a novelist.

"But my heart tells me to let this one go – what good is going to come of it now? The bad guy has been caught and he's not getting away. " He knelt and ran his fingers gently over the engraved words. "I've talked to you so often – I wish you were here to tell me what to do."

"Then do what your heart tells you to do," Beckett's voice answered from the headstone.

"And my heart tells me not to do anything stupid," Castle responded and then stopped, glancing around wildly at the mostly deserted cemetery. He leaned closer to the headstone and whispered incredulously, "I heard you, right? Are you talking to me from…up there? Have I made contact beyond the grave?"

"No, from here," Beckett said as she leaned out from where she was sitting behind the headstone.

Castle was so startled that he fell backwards, thumping heavily onto the grass. "You're alive," he finally gasped out. "Oh my god, you're alive."

Beckett stood, brushing the grass from the knees of her jeans. "Yes, thanks to you," she said, giving him a slight smile and offering him a hand up. "You brought me back to life."

"But how?" Castle exclaimed as he stood up. "Where have you been?"

Beckett worried her bottom lip before speaking. "Witness protection…sort of. Roy…" she swallowed as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "he thought Bracken would do something like this eventually and made sure I'd be safe. So they faked my death and took me to Paris."

"France?" interjected Castle.

Beckett shook her head. "No, Texas." She looked at the flowers. "Are those for me?"

Castle looked slightly startled again and then reached down for the bouquet and handed it to her. "Well, they were for the dead you, but they work just as well for the alive you too."

He stared at her as she ducked her face to smell the flowers.

"Jim – your dad? Does he know?" he asked suddenly.

Beckett nodded. "Yeah. When I was rescued, the FBI flew him down to meet me."

"What about Espo and Ryan? Do they know?" Castle asked. "Lanie's going to have a fit."

Beckett shook her head. "No, I wanted to come here first because I thought you'd be here."

Castle smiled slightly as he offered her his arm. "Then why don't we go rock their world?"

"I'd like that," Beckett replied as they walked off.

# # # # # # # #

AN: One more chapter and this one will be finished.

And to all of you who yell, Wait, you said Major Character Death – yeah, Roy Montgomery died. I'm a technical writer and very literal, so "death" means 1 person and "deaths" mean more than 1 person.

In the beginning, I considered having Beckett really be dead, but I was having too much fun writing this and I can't write a morbid story when I'm having fun. Anyone interested in the "There's Always a Story XX Version"?

Thanks again for reading.

# # # # # # # #


	9. Chapter 9 So It Begins Again

**There's Always a Story**

Summary – What if Beckett and Castle never met in "Flowers For Her Grave"? What would be the consequences? Definitely AU since of course, they meet in canon. I've used some of the things that happened in Castle and tweaked them just a bit; borrowed dialog is shown in italics.

AN: This is the final chapter. Once again, thanks so much for all the follows, favs, and reviews. They really mean a lot to me. You guys rock! I still don't own Castle.

 **Chapt 9 – So It Begins Again…**

# # # # # # # # #

Beckett hung up her phone with an exasperated huff. She was in limbo, a Catch-22 that was going to take time to resolve.

The federal government had declared her officially dead – she was listed on the Social Security Death Master File and once you were on it, it was hard to get off it. The entry hadn't been erroneous because everyone thought that she had died and so the funeral director had submitted her information to the agency.

But the problem was that she wasn't dead and now she had to prove that she was alive and really who she said she was so she could officially be brought back to life.

This complicated process involved visiting the county clerk's office to obtain a copy of her death certificate (now that sent shivers down her spine) and completing a form to amend the certificate, but apparently she had to have a court order for something as major as this.

The attending physician who declared her dead would also have to sign, but she was out of the country on a Doctors without Borders mission trip and unreachable.

And then she would have to visit the Social Security office in person with all the documentation to show that she indeed was alive. And wait for the Social Security office to declare her alive so she could be reinstated at the precinct.

Beckett took a deep breath as she sipped on her coffee and looked around her apartment. This could take a while, but it didn't dent her happiness at being home.

Thank god she still had her apartment and it hadn't been cleaned out, even though she felt like throwing out all her underwear and buying new ones.

A knock broke through her thoughts and she frowned as she looked at the front door. They had had a joyous reunion last night at Castle's bar and she wasn't expecting company today. They wanted to give her time to decompress from everything that had happened.

Barefoot, she padded over to the door and peeped out.

She smiled as she saw Castle standing there with several reusable shopping bags and a drink holder with to-go coffee cups.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting you today," Beckett said as she opened the door.

"Given the state of your refrigerator, I thought you might like something edible to eat that won't kill you," he said as he made a face and then walked into her apartment and put the bags on her kitchen counter.

"Yeah," Beckett said as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "That would be nice. I don't think I could go through that again."

"So I got you an assortment," Castle said as he started pulling out items. He paused for a moment. "And I got you coffee – sugar-free vanilla, 2 pumps. That's what Lanie said you liked."

Beckett nodded. "And she would be correct."

She took the cup he handed her and took a deep breath of the aroma.

"If you want, I can stick around – help you put things up…" Castle offered.

"Yeah, that would be nice," Beckett replied. She paused for a moment. "Listen, I have a confession."

"Oh, okay," Castle said curiously, stopping to look at her.

"I heard what you said at the cemetery," Beckett said. "The man holding me set up surveillance on my grave. I think he hoped that Bracken would come by and gloat and confess, but he never did. But my dad came every morning and you came most nights." She paused for a moment. "You were the bookends to my days that made the whole thing more bearable. The thought that I might be able to come home."

Castle smiled softly at her. "Just glad I could help." He turned back to shopping bags. "And I'm glad that I didn't say something embarrassing like I had sex with my ex-wife when I saw her in LA."

"Yeah, right," Beckett said, pulling a face behind Castle's back.

"So when I was packing your books, I saw that you have some of mine and they were autographed," Castle said.

"My mother enjoyed your books. She said they helped take her mind off of work. And then after she died, I read them. I liked them," Beckett gave her honest opinion.

"Good," Castle said. "Because I was thinking of basing a new character on you and Bob's on board with it."

That caught Beckett off guard. "A new character? I'm not sure I want my life made public."

"Well, it's not really you," Castle explained. "It's the fictional version of you that I made up in my head. And I already told your story in the article about you anyway."

"Okay," Beckett nodded slowly and then looked at Castle questioningly. "So who's Bob?"

"The mayor," Castle said simply. "I've already checked with him and he's on board with it. He says they'll take all the good press they can get. And he's already run it by your precinct commander—"

"Victoria Gates?!" Beckett exclaimed. "Castle, I haven't even met her yet."

Castle put out a hand. "No, it's okay. Bob talked with her and she agreed to let me shadow you for a couple of cases when you're reinstated. She's is on the NYPD baseball team and they need new uniforms, which Rick's Café American was more than happy to supply."

Beckett let out another exasperated huff as she made a face. "Really?"

Castle nodded as he turned back to the sacks. "So how's it coming with the SSA?"

Beckett shook her head. "Not good. I have to get a court order to change my death certificate."

"Oh, not a problem," Castle replied. "I'm having the Gotham City crew at my place for poker tomorrow night, and Ryan and Espo. Judge Markway will be there and can sign one for you. And the commissioner and Bob will be there – they're really looking forward to meeting you."

"All right; I guess I'll be there," Beckett replied, uncertain as to how her life had suddenly become stage front.

Castle paused for a moment. "And since you don't have anything to do right now, I thought we could go over the Allison Tisdale case."

"The Allison Tisdale case?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah, the one where we should have met," Castle replied.

Beckett nodded. "I know which one it is. Why?"

"I read the report and I looked at the pictures when I was in the records room—"

"And who let you into the records room?" Beckett asked, going into police mode.

"Bob," Castle replied simply.

"I'm going to get tired of hearing that name, aren't I?" Beckett asked rhetorically. "So what about the Tisdale case?"

"It's just that I think you arrested the wrong man," Castle replied.

"Are you telling me how to do my job?" Beckett responded.

Castle shook his head. "No, but just look at the pictures," he said, pulling out his phone.

"And you took pictures – why does that not surprise me?" Beckett said.

"Kyle Cabot was a hard-core Castle fan, incredibly obsessed. He wouldn't have made these mistakes. See, the flowers are wrong – they should have been hybrid teas, but whoever murdered her used grandiflora…"

# # # # # # # #

End – End – End – End – End – End – End

# # # # # # # #

 **Second Half of Chapt 8 Where Beckett is Really Dead**

 **Alt Chap 8b – The Final Conversation**

# # # # # # # # #

 _AN: Several people have asked for the version where Kate Beckett is really dead, so here it is. It starts with the conversation at Beckett's grave._

# # # # # # # #

"Hey, it's me again – I bet you thought I forgot about you," Castle said as he knelt and laid a large bouquet of roses, lilies, and baby's breath in front of the headstone. "I didn't. It's just that I've been very busy the last few days connecting all the dots."

He stood and then said quietly, "We did it, Kate – you and me – and, well, Esposito and Ryan – and Captain Gates – she got involved when we told her what we found."

He took a breath. "We got justice for you and your mother and arrested the man who arranged the murders – Senator William Bracken. I'm sure you've heard of him. He thought you and Montgomery were threats so that's why he had you killed. And your mother.

"When he was with the DA's office, he found out that 3 dirty cops were kidnapping mobsters and holding them for ransom. An undercover FBI agent was accidentally killed by one of them. Bracken made the whole thing go away and blackmailed the cops into giving him a huge portion of the take. He framed a mobster named Joe Pulgatti for the murder.

"But several years later, Pulgatti decided he didn't like prison and contacted your mother about reopening his case. She did, and Bracken took her out so she couldn't expose him.

"That's what was on the tape we found – Bracken giving the order for her murder. I don't know who made the tape or how your mother got it, but she hid it in the elephants. I don't think she knew what it was, otherwise, things would have turned out so differently."

Castle paused, smiling slightly. "And it didn't help Bracken's case when the man hired to find all of the evidence rolled on him when he was caught. Cole Maddox – Esposito says that he's a ghost because the only information we can find on him is recent; he didn't exist until a year ago.

"And Maddox may well be a ghost because he broke into my loft which I was assured had a security system to rival Ft. Knox. But that's where his plan fell apart – the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. We got great pictures of him and the key tag to car he had rented.

"Esposito and Ryan were able to trace the key tag and use the GPS to locate him yesterday. Oh, and apparently, he broke into your apartment because he took your underwear and left it at my place to make me look bad.

"We only had Maddox on the B&E's, but he rolled on Bracken the moment the Feds swooped in to take him into custody and wanted to make a plea deal. But Jackson Hunt, the FBI agent sent to pick Maddox up, wasn't interested and hauled him away this morning.

"And that's not all. After Maddox was arrested, copies of bank statements detailing the payments to one of Bracken's offshore accounts were delivered to Captain Gates by courier. Because of that, the FBI has forensic accountants examining Bracken's financial records. That should be enough to put him away for the rest of his life."

Castle's eyes brow knit together as he thought for a moment. "That's the good news, Kate. But there's also bad news. Raglan was the lead officer on your mother's murder – he was one of the dirty cops. Gary McAllister was the second, but the third dirty cop – we think it was Roy Montgomery. Esposito and Ryan looked at Raglan's arrest records from back then and found that some of the names of the officers involved had been changed. And a retired police man has a picture of Roy, Raglan, and McAllister together from back then.

"It's all circumstantial and only Esposito, Ryan, and I know about this, and I don't know what to do," Castle said with a sigh. "If this gets out, it will ruin Montgomery's reputation – he'll only be remembered for that, not for any of the good that he did. And Evelyn and his daughters will lose his benefits, not to mention what it would do to the 12th.

"My head tells me to tell the truth, write a follow-up expose on Bracken and the dirty cops, but I'd probably lose my street cred as a journalist since I wrote the article about Montgomery in the first place – good thing I'm a novelist.

"But my heart tells me to let this one go – what good is going to come of it now? The bad guy has been caught and he's not getting away. " He knelt and ran his fingers gently over the engraved words. "I've talked to you so often – I wish you were here to tell me what to do."

Castle closed his eyes and waited, listening, but nothing came. He let out a breath and opened them again. "But you're not. In fact, you're not really here," he said, motioning at the ground. "You're… there."

He straightened. "So I'll let Esposito and Ryan make the decision. They're the ones whose lives will be affected the most.

"Now that this is over, I'm headed to Las Vegas for a mystery writer's convention." He cocked his head slightly as an idea started percolating and he smiled slightly. "I hope you don't mind if I base a character on you. Anyway, it was good to meet you, Detective Beckett. I just wish we could have met in real life."

The peal of thunder in the distance caught his attention. "Yeah, sounds like the universe agrees too. So until next time," he said, nodding at the headstone and then walking away.

Yeah, a smart, tough, street-wise cop. Gina was already pestering him about what he was going to write next and this had possibilities.

The words weren't there yet, the itch that had to be scratched until thoughts came pouring out of him, but it would start soon.

As he reached the car, a name came to him – Nikki Heat – it was a strong name and just think of the book titles he could come up with.

The rain started as he shut the door and started the car. In a couple of weeks, he would invite Esposito and Ryan to the bar and discreetly pick their brains about some possible scenarios. He might even be able to ride along with them on a couple of cases to get a feel for what they did.

Hmmm, maybe he could use the CSI farm – that would be interesting – a murder at a place where murder is researched. Maybe he could sweet talk Dr. Parrish into giving him a tour.

Castle paused – but then again, he might run into her there without knowing it and that thought made him slightly queasy.

He turned on the radio as he pulled out, listening to the news.

"Last night, the body of another young woman was found strangled in lower Manhattan," said the announcer. "Now everyone is speculating if it's the work of 3XK, the serial killer who terrorized New York 4 years ago…"

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Really Finished Except for TAAS XX / Mic Drop / That's All They Wrote / Thanks for Reading


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